Kennedy Wracher
January 2026
Kennedy
Wracher
,
BSN, RN
SICU
University of Cincinnati Medical Center
Cincinnati
,
OH
United States
I truly believe that Kennedy helped provide an encouraging environment that was one of happiness and joy instead of sadness and sorrow.
Kennedy was the nurse for my father on the day that he passed away. It's hard to find the words to describe the impact she had on my family and me by demonstrating the true meaning of nursing. The day he passed was a day full of love and family, and I truly believe Kennedy helped construct that.
She encouraged all family members present that day to be at his bedside (even though usually only two people were allowed back at a time). She constantly made sure that my dad was comfortable and went out of her way to make sure my family was as well. She managed a complicated and demanding medication regimen consisting of multiple IV infusions so efficiently that I didn't realize that she had been adjusting the pressors so frequently at the time, and I could focus my attention on being present with my father.
We knew when it was time to start comfort measures that day. This is where Kennedy demonstrated compassion, proficiency, and embodied what nursing is in a whole. The whole family was able to say their goodbyes and continue singing karaoke together at the bedside as we had been doing throughout the day (karaoke was one of my father's favorite things), as she slowly decreased the pressure going.
Slowly, the blood pressure got lower and lower until his final heartbeat, making a smooth transition. Kennedy was there for every minute until she gave us time alone as a family. She even brought a strip of his last heartbeat in a globe ornament, which means more than she will ever know. One thing that I will always remember her saying is that it was so nice seeing all the family members at the bedside because it doesn't happen all that often in the SICU. She also said she never seen any karaoke with their family member on comfort measures. I truly believe that Kennedy helped provide an encouraging environment that was one of happiness and joy instead of sadness and sorrow.
While the passing of my father will forever be one of the hardest things I've gone through, the experience itself was smooth and peaceful. And to be able to admit that about that day speaks volumes about the nursing care provided by Kennedy Wracher. While we told her multiple times that day, I'm not sure she will ever know how thankful my whole family is for her and the care she provided.
She encouraged all family members present that day to be at his bedside (even though usually only two people were allowed back at a time). She constantly made sure that my dad was comfortable and went out of her way to make sure my family was as well. She managed a complicated and demanding medication regimen consisting of multiple IV infusions so efficiently that I didn't realize that she had been adjusting the pressors so frequently at the time, and I could focus my attention on being present with my father.
We knew when it was time to start comfort measures that day. This is where Kennedy demonstrated compassion, proficiency, and embodied what nursing is in a whole. The whole family was able to say their goodbyes and continue singing karaoke together at the bedside as we had been doing throughout the day (karaoke was one of my father's favorite things), as she slowly decreased the pressure going.
Slowly, the blood pressure got lower and lower until his final heartbeat, making a smooth transition. Kennedy was there for every minute until she gave us time alone as a family. She even brought a strip of his last heartbeat in a globe ornament, which means more than she will ever know. One thing that I will always remember her saying is that it was so nice seeing all the family members at the bedside because it doesn't happen all that often in the SICU. She also said she never seen any karaoke with their family member on comfort measures. I truly believe that Kennedy helped provide an encouraging environment that was one of happiness and joy instead of sadness and sorrow.
While the passing of my father will forever be one of the hardest things I've gone through, the experience itself was smooth and peaceful. And to be able to admit that about that day speaks volumes about the nursing care provided by Kennedy Wracher. While we told her multiple times that day, I'm not sure she will ever know how thankful my whole family is for her and the care she provided.